Convicted Felon Sentenced To Prison For Stealing Firearms

STATESVILLE, N.C. – A Taylorsville, N.C. man with multiple past felony convictions was sentenced yesterday to 92 months in prison for breaking into homes and stealing the owners’ firearms, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  In addition to the prison term, Andrew Ray Jonas, 34, was sentenced to three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Voorhees, who presided over the sentencing hearing. 

“Over the course of his criminal career Jonas had been warned many times to stay away from guns.  Instead, Jonas went on a break-in spree, stealing numerous firearms from innocent homeowners which he then traded for money.  As a result, he will spend the next seven years behind bars.  Jonas should have paid closer attention to those who tried to warn him,” said U.S. Attorney Rose.

According to filed court documents and statements made in court, on May 19, 2014, law enforcement were notified that a residence in the Taylorsville area had been broken into.  A A revolver, a pistol and jewelry were among the items stolen from the residence.  According to court records, eye witnesses stated that prior to the break-in a gold SUV had been parked outside the residence, occupied by what appeared to be two females wearing bandanas.  Later the same day, law enforcement located the vehicle which displayed a license plate that belonged to a different vehicle. Court records show that Jonas, who was a passenger, was wearing a bandana on his head.  According to court records, Jonas was arrested after law enforcement found the two stolen firearms inside the car by Jonas’ feet. 

Court records show that during the investigation law enforcement found evidence tying Jonas to multiple break-ins of homes in Taylorsville.  According to court records, Jonas was also found in possession of tools stolen from the home break-ins, and in possession of pawn tickets for stolen lawn and power tools that he had pawned.  Court records indicate that one person told law enforcement that he had purchased multiple firearms from Jonas and had paid $340 to $360 for each one. Jonas pleaded guilty in September 2015 to one count of theft of a firearm.  Jonas’ previous convictions prohibit him from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Voorhees stated that the sentence was to “protect the public from further crimes of the defendant.”  Judge Voorhees expressed “grave concern for further criminality of particularly the breaking and entering sort.”  Judge Voorhees observed, “hard working people work hard to get a house, and want it to be a castle, a place of sanctity, security,” and that defendant’s acts had violated that sense of security.  Judge Voorhees also noted that Jonas has “’Villain’ tattooed on his right arm, it does not make him a villain, but speaks to his state of mind.”

Jonas is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.  All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Rose thanked C.J. Hyman, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division and Sheriff Chris Bowman of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office for investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Gleason of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte was in charge of the prosecutions.